Following Doechii’s Grammy nominations hat trick, the Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) rapper visited her hometown high school and reflected on her walk down memory lane in a lengthy and heartfelt social media post.
On Wednesday (November 13), Doechii shared a post on Instagram commemorating her recent trip back to Howard W. Blake High-School in Tampa amid her hometown performance on the Alligator Bites Never Heal Tour.
Throughout the three minute long mini-vlog, the Swamp Princess gave fans a glimpse of her time mulling about her old stopping grounds in which she engaged in a Q&A session with students, watched performances from the school’s band and chorus programs and took selfies with the kids.
Doechii attempted to quantify her experience in the thorough caption of the post, which saw her rehashing how a Beyoncé instrumental and her raw talent gave her a start in the world of performing arts that would later change her life.
“I couldn’t perform in my hometown without going back to where it all started Howard W. Blake High-School,” Doechi started off. “I remember showing up to audition for the Chorus program with no training and no ability to read or compose music. I remember my chorus teacher asking me if I came with sheet music and all I had was the ‘At Last’ instrumental from YouTube and a aux chord.”
She also looked back on how strong mentorship helped her become the humble beast she needed to be in order to embark on her artistic journey, which led her to becoming the most nominated female rap artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
“I was accepted into the program b/c of my talent and because my mentors saw a seed and watered it,” she remarked. “By the time I left performing arts school I was writing and reading music. More than ready to go independent as an artist!”
In another portion of the lengthy caption, Doechill alluded to how her experience at the school helped her prepare for her latest chapter in life as a breakthrough, Grammy-nominated recording artist.
“Thank you to everyone teacher that poured into me during my 4 years of school,” she wrote in part. “You taught me DISCIPLINE at an age where it was very hard to focus lol I carry your lessons with me to this day. 4X Grammy nominated and I give a major part of that to Blake High-school and my mommy for for enrolling me ! STING.”
Doechii has far surpassed her classification as a rising star in the music scene this year following the release of her acclaimed mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. As a result of the success of the project, she received recognition in multiple Grammy categories, highlighting her versatility and influence in contemporary music. Her work garnered nominations for Best New Artist, as well as for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. She’ll also compete in the category for the Best Remixed Recording.
